Yes and no. As Jack says, previous experience helped him out. Prior knowledge helps you early in the course, but later could be a burden.
What a pilot license/experience helps you with is understanding the stuff early in the course. Later, it doesn't help you at all. later in the course is all about applying what you have learned (a very complex rule set) to differing practical scenarios (the real world) in a time-critical environment.
The intangible thing is: "Can you do ATC"? Nothing prior helps you with that.
I'm sorry, I can't give you black and white here. You just have to suck it and see.
Whether you want to give up your life to 'suck it', is up to you.